Wallace e



(No Model.)

w. E. JACKSON & L. A. PLAT'I.

BUTTON.

Patented June 3 1890-.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

VALLACE E. JACKSON AND LElVIS A. PLATT, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTI- CUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE PATENT BUTTON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,530, dated. June 3, 1890.

I 'Apnlication filed ctoher'24,1889. Serial No. 328,058. (No model.) 7

To all whom) it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALLACE E. J AOKSON and LEWIS A. PLATI, residing at VVaterbnry, in the county of New Haven and State of C011- necticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in buttons, the object beingto produce a button adapted in its construction to be easily and cheaply made and applied and presenting when done a neat and finished appearance.

With these ends in view our invention consists in a button having an independent die or clinching-piece provided with a contracted opening and an enlargedspace at the inner end thereof, and in certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 2 5 a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of one form which a button constructed in accordance with our invention may assume, the die and shell of the button and its pointed rivet being shown on opposite sides of a section of fabric, respectively. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of a similar button after its parts have been finally assembled, this' button having a modified form of die and a spacer. Fig. 3 is a detached sectional view 3 5 of another modified form of the die or clinching-piece. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of another modified form of the same part. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank, such as may be employed in the production of still another modified form of the die or clinching-piece. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation, showing the first step in the development of an independent die or clinching-piece from the blankshown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the completed die or clinching-piece produced from the said blank.

As shown in Fig.- 1 of the drawings, the button is provided with an independent die or clinching-piece having a shank A and a head B, the said shank, which forms the hub of the button, being traversed by a longitudinal bore or opening 0, flared at its outer end to form a foot D and provided at its opposite end with a shoulder E, and the said head being located at the shouldered end of the shank 5 5 and having an enlarged clinching-space F, which is intersected by the opening or bore thereof. When having the form above described, the die or clinching-piece will preferably be formed by making a shouldered 6o thimble and inserting its closed end into an opening formed in the center of the buttonflange G-and then crushing the said end of the thimble to develop the head 13 upon the outer face of the said flange, after which a cap-piece His united to the edge of the button-flanga which is held between the said shoulder E and the head B. The said head having a flattened outer face, is therefore shaped to form a bearing-surface for the said cap-piece and prevent the same from being distorted or injured during the upsetting of the rivet, as will be described later on.

In the construction above described the button-flange G and the cap-piece H together form the head of the button. If desired, howeventhe cap-piece may be dispensed with and the button-flange adapted in itself to form the button-head, in which case it will not be necessary to shape the closed end of the die to form a bearing-surface, as referred to above.

Our improved die or clinching-piece calls for a rivet adapted to have its end curled or upset within the clinching-space of the die. One form which this rivet may take is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, wherein it consists of a pointed end I and a head J.

The button-head and die having been combined, as described, are located on one side of the cloth J and the rivet on the other side thereof. The point of the rivet is then passed through the cloth and into the bore in the shank of the die, in which it is centered ,by the flaring outer end thereof. From the said bore the point of the rivet emerges into the clinching-space of the die, and the pressure being continued and the point of the rivet being confined in the said clinching-die it is forced to curl upon itself, as shown in Fig. 2 I00 of the drawings, and so bind the several parts of the button together with the cloth between the foot of the shank of the die and the head of the rivet. As shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, the shank of the die has no shoulder and is encircled by a spacer K.

The die or clinching-piece L (shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings) is made in one piece and the inner end of its shank spun inwardly and expanded to form the enlarged clinchingspace M. The clinching-space of the die or clinching-piece (shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings) is made by forming a transverse opening N through the shank of the die, so as to intersect the bore thereof at its inner end. The die or clinching-piece (shown by Fig. 7 of the drawings) is made by drawing up such a blank 0 as is shown in Fig. 5 into atube P, closed at one end, and then flattening the closed end of the said tube, whereby a clinching-space Q is formed in the head made by upsettin the tube.

It is obvious that our improved die or clinching-piece may assume still other forms, and we do not therefore limit ourselves to the constructions shown.

It is not essential that. the outer end of the shank of the die be expanded to form the foot, as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, although when so expanded an enlarged flaring entrance is formed in the bore of the die, which may facilitate the centering of the pointed end of the rivet thereinto. \Vhen a spacer is not used, it will be desirable to in some manner expand the outer end of the shank of the die to form a foot for the button. In some cases, also, the expansion of the said end of the shank of the die may be utilized to assist in holding the spacer in place. As before mentioned, the spacer may or may not be used, and when used it may be constructed and applied in a variety of ways too well known to require illustration here more than is done in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The button-head may also be formed in any approved manner, and we do not limit ourselves to any one way of making it.

It has been proposed prior to our invention to clinch a pointed rivet by forcing its point against the button-head on the inside thereof. This mode of construction is, however, objectionable, because the point of the rivet is very liable to dent or even puncture the button-head and so spoil the button, and because its point being unconfined it is diificult to sufficently upset the end of the rivet to form an effective fastening. The objections incident to the old process referred to are entirely overcome by our improvement, in which the end of the rivet is curled or clinched in an independent die confining the point, and heavy enough in itself to do the work of clinching the rivet without any aid from other parts of the button. It has also been proposed prior to our invention to upset the point of a pointed rivet after the same has been assembled with the remaining parts of a button by forcing a cap down over its point, which is thereby upset in the cap.

We claim 1. Ina button, an independent die or clinching-piece provided with a longitudinal bore and an enlarged clinching-space, and having its closed end shaped to form a bearin -surface for the cap-piece of the button, so that the said cap-piece will not be distorted or injured when under pressure during the upsetting of the rivet, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a centrally-perforated button-flange, of an independent die or clinching-piece having a closed end and a flared open end, respectively, located on opposite sides of the button-flange, through the perforation of which the die or clinchingpiece is passed, as set forth.

The combination, with a centrally-perforated button-flange, of an independent die or clinching-piece having an enlarged head and a shank respectively located on opposite sides of the button-flange, the said enlarged head inclosing an enlarged clinching-space,

and the said shank having a longitudinal bore which opens into the said space, substantially .as set forth.

4. In a button, the combination, with a centrally-perforated buttmrflange, of an independent die or clinching-piece having a head and a shank and provided with an enlarged clinching space and a longitudinal bore, and a spacer encircling the said shank or a portion thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. In a button, the combination, with a centrally-perforated button-flange, of an independent die or clinching-piece having a head and a shank flared at its outer end, the said head and shank being located on opposite sides of the said flange, the head having an enlarged clinching-space and the shank having a longitudinal bore, and a spacer encircling the shank and held in place by the flared outer end thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALLACE E. JACKSON. LEWIS A. PLAT'I. \Vitnes'ses:

JOHN F. IIOLOHAN, CHARLES J. Games. 

